Interstate Lighting Maintenance From The Cloud

Item #: 20230002

CONTACTS

Implementing Organization: Interstate Lighting Group, ITS, Traffic Management Division
Implementation Lead: Todd Wright
Development Team: Matthew Smith, Todd Wright, Brandon Clark

Article Written By: Matthew Smith
Innovation Council Liaison: Quinten Klingonsmith
Innovation Team Coordinator: Quinten Klingonsmith

STATUS

Implementation Date: July 1, 2020 (this innovation was not reported until September 26, 2022)
Adoption Status: Fully Implemented
Adoptability Note: The Elecsys system is being used to monitor freeway lighting systems. What other electrical systems could be monitored using this approach?

APPLIES TO

Topic: Data Collection, Analysis and Visualization
Organization(s): Aeronautics, Asset Management, Central Construction, Central Maintenance/Facilities Management, Data Technology & Analytics, Emergency Management, Equipment Operations, Fiber Optics, Incident Management, ITS, Motor Carrier Division, Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4, Road Usage Charge, Traffic & Safety, Traffic Management Division, Transit/Rural Public Transit
Job Role(s): Business Analyst, Mechanics / Equipment, Roadway Operations / IMT, Transportation Technician
Tags: highway transportation, capital productivity, infrastructure preservation, labor costs, labor productivity, crashes, injuries, expenses, expenditures, automation, tracking systems, information technology >> software, networks, ( data visualization ), data science, asset management, traffic safety > highway safety, trucking safety, lighting, voltage, Elecsys, quality of life

PROBLEM

UDOT is responsible for maintaining interstate lighting statewide to improve visibility and safety for travelers. With limited manpower to maintain all lighting,

It’s been difficult to perform maintenance proactively on such a large system. Typically, UDOT electricians would rely on other staff or citizens to report issues, particularly for remote areas of the interstate system. This method is not always accurate. Descriptions of issues are often far worse than actual findings, but trips still must be made to find and fix problems. It is expensive and time consuming traveling to St. George and finding that only one or two lights have malfunctioned.

CHANGE

Since early 2020, the team has used a current monitoring system called Elecsys. The system monitors the electrical load at each power source where they are installed and gives instant reporting to a cloud-based interface that electricians can access from their digital device. These monitors are typically installed at new or upgraded lighting systems where the loads are initially optimal and typical so any changes reported on the interface can be flagged, and in many cases, problems can be diagnosed remotely. (See screen grab of the Elecsys interface below.) The system has a real-time map and a dashboard to help identify problems.

RESULT

There are many advantages to this system. One is more accurate reporting of issues so electricians can determine if a special trip is needed or if they can trip-chain to a whole area when enough issues demand a more deliberate maintenance trip. This system can also turn lighting on and off from a cell phone interface while troubleshooting at the opposite side of a long interstate from the power source. This allows electricians to check their work without having to drive to the next turnaround to return to the power source, which is much safer. While still not a proactive approach, since that would require more staffing than is currently available, the electricians have become much more efficient at scheduling maintenance needs.

For scale, each Elecsys device will cover an interstate interchange for about $3,500, including a three-year cellular connection that can be renewed, if needed. That replaces costs for unnecessary trips requiring equipment, lodging, per diem, and time. Some locations that do not raise any flags may not need a visit for over a year, in contrast to many trips for a single light out, flickering, or "day burning" that could wait for multiple real-time events requiring larger scale/area attention.

IMPACT

BETTER MOBILITY

GOOD HEALTH

Efficient maintenance keeps the lights on, illuminating Utah roadways and making driving safer
Maintenance technicians spend less time in traffic because they can operate and test lights from their cell phones

CONNECTED COMMUNITIES

STRONG ECONOMY

Technicians do not need to drive to locations to inspect lights, thus saving travel time, overnight stays, and per diem
The system enables efficient planning and management, allowing the whole interstate lighting system to be maintained by two technicians

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